A then five year old boy overheard a conversation between militant islamist’s in a German mosque just two days prior to the September 11 attacks.
The men spoke clearly about aircraft flying into buildings and many people would die.
He reported the information to his Kindergarten-supervisor –who of course did not believe the boy’s story.
After the events taking place, the Supervisor recalled the boy’s statements and went to tell the findings to the police.
The business-card of the boy’s father was found in Mohammed Atta’s flat…

Shows in my opinion that in Germany a lot of terroristic activity is going on...not only some small stuff or help but obviously planning and support of big attacks. Just last week attacks were stopped in Germany in the last minute...

Meaning the federal police only interviewed the teacher one year after the events- and the father of the boy who testified only 4 years after the attacks,despite the fact that the father's business-cards were found in the flat of Atta.."

Meaning the federal police only interviewed the teacher one year after the events- and the father of the boy who testified only 4 years after the attacks,despite the fact that the father's business-cards were found in the flat of Atta.."

Because we once again saw that nothing really changed, to know that sooner or later the police is not on time to stop a terrorist attack. BTW, I am not blaming anyone, but for me it is certainly a bad feeling to know that sooner or later a few bombs will blow up an airport, supermarket, train staiton or whatever...

Quoting Nighthawk (Reply 6):Why is this just being reported now, 6 years on? Has the teacher only just realised now what he said?

I don't think that this wasn't reported right after 9/11. I think I remember something about a kindergartener saying something to his teacher and his teacher not believing him way back then.

Unfortunately, Europe has some problems in their hands about Islamic Fundamentalism and terrorism in their own yards. The Muslims in the US, for the most part, are much more moderate. I don't know why this is, but it seems that muslims in the US are much more integrated than those in Europe and the UK.

Maybe it has something to do with the social standing of such individuals. Many Muslims and Indians seem to be middle class in the US, and some of them being in the very sucessful wealthy class. Many of them are doctors and entrepreneurs here. You don't find many Muslim ghettos around the US, though I think maybe in Detroit there is one, maybe in Dearborn, but for the most part, they are well integrated in our society, which is why I think that Islamic Fundamentalism and home-grown terrorism in the US is very low in comparison to Europe.

Meaning the federal police only interviewed the teacher one year after the events- and the father of the boy who testified only 4 years after the attacks,despite the fact that the father's business-cards were found in the flat of Atta.."

According to the report by the WDR (west german TV and radio, one of the biggest TV channels in Germany, very reliable), the BKA (German FBI) only interrogated the Kindergarten-teacher (no Idea how to say that otherwise) one year after 9-11 as a witness. The father of the young ear-witness was only interrogated 4 years later, despite the fact his card was found in the flat of the 9-11 pilots in Hamburg"

Quoting UAL747 (Reply 12):You don't find many Muslim ghettos around the US, though I think maybe in Detroit there is one, maybe in Dearborn, but for the most part, they are well integrated in our society, which is why I think that Islamic Fundamentalism and home-grown terrorism in the US is very low in comparison to Europe.

I don't think it has much to do with integration, which doesn't mean that I deny our problems with integrating Muslims.
Two of three terrorists who got caught last week in Germany were even German of German descent.

a lot has changed. 5 years ago, the German police would not have had any chance

Quoting UAL747 (Reply 12):The Muslims in the US, for the most part, are much more moderate. I don't know why this is, but it seems that muslims in the US are much more integrated than those in Europe and the UK.

By percentage of the population, the share of Muslims, and I do NOT speak about those weird "Black Muslims" in the USA, in Europe is very much higher, leading to heavy concentrations in many places. And if a fairly small section of one or two per thousand get radical it is substantial

Quoting UAL747 (Reply 12):Many Muslims and Indians seem to be middle class in the US, and some of them being in the very sucessful wealthy class. Many of them are doctors and entrepreneurs here.

just as in Europe

Quoting UAL747 (Reply 12):Islamic Fundamentalism and home-grown terrorism in the US is very low in comparison to Europe

Quoting Pelican (Reply 13):Unfortunately that's the reality we live in. Perfect security is not possible. As someone said - the police has to be successful at all times, the terrorists only have to be successful once...

That's what I say too. It doesn't change however that I feel uncomfortable about this fact.

Quoting ME AVN FAN (Reply 17):a lot has changed. 5 years ago, the German police would not have had any chance

I'm not an insider but I always had the feeling that the German police is doing a good job. Also it is not the first time that they deal with terrorism...just think about all the RAF stuff.

I don't see the point of the whole story. Even if the Kindergarten supervisor would have told the police in time to act no one would have done anything. Would they have grounded all the airplanes in the US because a 5 year old said there would be an attack? I don't think so (specially before the terrorist paranoia).

At the bus station, buses stop. At the train station, trains stop. At my desk, I have a work station.

Quoting RJ100 (Reply 18):
I'm not an insider but I always had the feeling that the German police is doing a good job.

Maybe, nevertheless, 9-11 DID happen and was planned in Germany. So this time we came too late. It might not be wise to blame someone, as many people failed here, but the fact that there are so many terrorists in germany and that they were not caught in time is scary.

Ok..so how can this kid remember what was spoken? He was 5 at the time..5 yo kids hear lots of things..how can they remember specific details? I sure as hell don't remember anything specific when I was 5. And its been 6 years since 9/11, so why did this kid suddenly remember that he 'overheard' these terrorists now?

Quoting RJ100 (Reply 18):a lot has changed. 5 years ago, the German police would not have had any chance

I'm not an insider but I always had the feeling that the German police is doing a good job. Also it is not the first time that they deal with terrorism...just think about all the RAF stuff.

true about the good job in general. BUT it in 2001/02/ was obvious that German authorities did not have much understanding for Muslim matters. They however quickly learnt their lessons and now possibly are among the best in the world. And THIS in my view means progress. You say that something could/might happen. No doubt unfortunately. BUT the struggle against terrorism is exactly THIS, the hard work primarily by policemen but also by whomever is involved in security matters, for instance at airports, in aircargo and other sensitive fields. In the past, terrorists too often succeeded, but in recent years, they failed thanks to others being increasingly better prepared and organised and equipped.
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Quoting LAXspotter (Reply 19):Shows in my opinion that in Germany a lot of terroristic activity is going on...

Uh, it was already known, especially the Hamburg cell where many of the hijackers lived, studied, worked and planned the attack.

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here you have hit the reason why the authorities did not care too much when being advised by that teacher. The place shows that those talking about the matter most certainly just were people who had heard about goings-on, and not actual culprits or collaborators.
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Quoting TheSonntag (Reply 22):It might not be wise to blame someone, as many people failed here, but the fact that there are so many terrorists in germany and that they were not caught in time is scary.

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It is NOT scary really, as it is not worse than in France or Britain or Italy or Switzerland etc . You have to bear in mind that elQaeda up to Sep01 had the advantage that information about them was rather scarce.
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Quoting Springbok747 (Reply 23):Ok..so how can this kid remember what was spoken? He was 5 at the time..5 yo kids hear lots of things..how can they remember specific details? I sure as hell don't remember anything specific when I was 5. And its been 6 years since 9/11, so why did this kid suddenly remember that he 'overheard' these terrorists now?

NO, he did NOT remember it now, but on the same day, and his teacher just 2 days later. From the place they were in, you can assume, just as the German law enforcers did, that the "suspects" were not culprits but just people who had heard about the matter
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